Developer / Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: Platformer // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Average // Length: 6 - 10 hours.

it is very easy to be cynical about New Super Mario Bros. 2. Not only does t borrow heavily from the Mario Bros. archive in terms of music, art assets, levels, themes and map layout but the new gimmick of turning everything into gold, and subsequently asking the player to feverishly collect coins, feels more than a little telling of a developer wanting to chain in with their biggest franchise. 

This scepticism stems further as just one year prior Mario made his debut on new hardware in Super Mario £D Land, a game that takes far more chances with the Mario formula all while perfectly integrating the unique features of the 3DS. With that in mind, what does this game have to offer?

Music was sourced by:
“Odyssey” and “Blipstream” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.
“Title Screen”, “Underwater”, “Desert Overworld” and “Athletic” were sourced from the New Super Mario Bros. 2 OST.

I am not the rights holder for the OST music. If either you or someone you know is the rights holder and would like to contact me regarding my choice of music then please do get in touch.

A Video Game Odyssey is also available on SoundCloud, Twitter and YouTube.

Review #11: New Super Mario Bros. 2 (2012 / 3DS)

DATA005: STREETS OF RAGE 2

Widely recognised as one of the greatest and most influential game soundtracks of all time, STREETS OF RAGE 2 remains a towering achievement of the 16bit era. Data Discs is extremely proud to be releasing this masterpiece of FM synthesis, composed by Yuzo Koshiro in 1992 and sounding more relevant today than ever.

The audio has been carefully remastered using multiple sources, including the original NEC PC-88 files supplied by Koshiro himself, and packaged in original artwork sourced from the SEGA archives in Japan.

-	Double LP in gatefold sleeve
-	Includes four bonus tracks of demos, alternate versions and unused compositions
-	2 x lithographic prints featuring archival artwork
-	Traditional Japanese OBI strip
-	Fully remastered in collaboration with and approved by composer Yuzo Koshiro

Available to pre-order from 27th February at www.data-discs.com


Streets of Rage 2 - Go Straight (Remastered)

Developer: Game Freak // Publisher: Nintendo // Status: Very Well-Known // Genre: Turn-Based RPG / Shooter // Players: 1 // Difficulty: Above Average // Length: 27 - 32 hours.


Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow mark the beginning of the phenomenon known as Pokemon. Known by fans simply as Generation 1, or Gen 1, these games introduce the first 150 Pokemon and establish the progression system of the mainline series games: wherein the player must choose one of three starter Pokemon, acquire 8 gym badges, challenge the Elite Four, become a Pokemon Master and, in the postgame, catch optional Legendary Pokemon.

Music was sourced by:
"Perspective" and 'Odyssey" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additionally, in-game music was used during interludes.
“Pokemon - Title Screen”, “The Road to Viridian City”, “Cerulean City Theme”, “Lavender Town Theme”, “Viridian Forest”, “Rival Appears”, “Pokemon Gym”, “Battle vs. Gym Leader” and “Oak’s Laboratory” were sourced from the Pokemon Series OST.

I do not own the rights to any of this music.

If you are or know the copyright owner please do contact me via Twitter, SoundCloud or YouTube.

Review #16: Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow Versions (1996 to 2000 / GB)

Voice Is The Original Instrument is the first of two crucial Joan La Barbara reissues incoming this spring on Arc Light Editions. It was the first record released by Joan La Barbara in 1976, and has since become iconic as one of the initial examples of extended vocal techniques in experimental music. The human voice is the only instrument on the recordings, which were made live at the University Art Museum in Berkeley, CA.

Out 20 April, via www.arclighteditions.bigcartel.com

extended vocal techniquejoan la barbara1970savant-gardeExperimentalVocal
Released by:
Arc Light Editions


Joan La Barbara - Voice Piece: One-Note Internal Resonance Investigation

JOHN FOXX and GARY NUMAN collaborate for the first time. Available on the new 17 track John Foxx compilation album, '21ST CENTURY: A MAN, A WOMAN AND A CITY'.  Release Date - 27 May. 
£9.99 as a PREORDER on Amazon - http://amzn.to/1oB4blR. 

REVIEWS FOR 21ST CENTURY: A MAN, A WOMAN AND A CITY

'Foxx has been Number 1 all along. He continues to make synth pop better than just about anyone else. This sampler demonstrates the breadth of his excellence.'
Q MAGAZINE 

'John Foxx is a cult hero for a new generation of electronic artists. Collaborating seems to bring out the best in him. ' 
UNCUT 

'Ample evidence of a still vital talent'
MOJO 

'A perfect storm of brilliant synthpop.' 
THE QUIETUS 

'This retrospective reveals a man who, 40 years into his career, is at the top of his game.'
ELECTRONIC SOUND 

'Confirms his cool status with the new generation of electronicists.' 
CLASSIC POP 


John Foxx And The Maths Featuring Gary Numan - Talk (Are You Listening To Me?)

In this episode I take a brief look at how and why I have chosen to do away with the 10-point review score in favour of a label-based review score. Enjoy!

Below is a list of my review history thus far, in chronological order, complete with their original score out of 10 and their newly updated score.

-- Tomba, was a 7/10, now a good quality game
-- Resident Evil 4, was a 9/10, now an excellent/masterful quality game
-- Comix Zone, was a 5/10, now an average quality game
-- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was 4/10, now a poor/average quality game
-- Alien Soldier, was an 8/10, now a great quality game
-- Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game
-- Klonoa, was a 7/10, now a good quality game
-- Grim Fandango, was an 8/10, now a great quality game
-- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, was an 8/10, now a great/excellent quality game
-- Ufouria: The Saga, was an 8/10, now a good/great quality game
-- New Super Mario Bros. 2, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game
-- Half-Life 2, was a 10/10, now a masterful quality game
-- Metroid Prime, was a 9/10, now an excellent quality game
-- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, was a 7/10, now a good/great quality game
-- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was a 6/10, now an average/good quality game
-- Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow Versions, was a 7/10, now a good/great quality game

Thank you very much for listening! Please let me know what you think of the new review system!

A Quick Look At The New Rating System (from a Numbered to  a Named Review Rating System)

From the record Adventura Anatomica (Semishigure 2006) by Maja S. K. Ratkje. Made for a dance performance with the same title.

Once Upon A Time

Profile

Closing track on 'Into The Beyond World' issued August 2016 on Reverb Worship

Bright Line Brown Eye

This is my third Devo cover using the Korg DS 10 software for the Nintendo DS.

This track, Human Rocket, is from Devo's new album Something For Everybody which obviously comes highly recommended. So go out or stay in and buy it! Help support the artists who make the work, otherwise the arts industries will die.

Duty Now

Devo - Human Rocket (Korg DS-10 cover)

davidevoid

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